• Lunch Time!

    26 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 66 °F

    It was 2:00p by the time we left the Gallarus Oratory. Time for food!

    Seeing billboards for a seaside restaurant, we went looking for it. Turns out that Tigh T.P. (T.P.’s House) is located where R549 dead-ends at a beach overlooking Smerwick Harbor. Perfect for “lunch with a view.”

    From the chalkboard menu I opted for pasta with prawns — delicious. Mui got the haddock with a double order of salad. Turns out it was fish and chips ... sans the chips — also delicious. A local lager washed down the tasty morsels.

    It was 4:00p by the time we finished our lunch — yes, we dallied. So, we decided to take a roundabout way back home. The route wasn’t very scenic and we didn’t make any stops ... but it completed our “Ring of Dingle” outing. A great day.
    Baca lagi

  • Gallarus Oratory

    26 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 64 °F

    A detour off the main road took us to the Gallarus Oratory, which was constructed by early Christians over 1300 years ago.

    The church has an interesting architectural style, with the roof formed by raising the walls at an angle to meet at a peak in the center. This is the same construction method that was used at the Neolithic tomb at Newgrange.

    One of the amazing things about the building is that its dry rubble masonry construction is still waterproof after all these years of being battered by the elements.
    Baca lagi

  • Dunmore Head ... Star Wars Last Jedi

    26 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 63 °F

    Of all our stops along the West End Peninsula Drive, the one that enchanted us the most was Dunmore Head. Not because parts of the “Star Wars Last Jedi” movie were filmed here. In fact, we’ve yet to see any of the Star Wars movies. Rather, we loved this stop because the scenery was so spectacular.

    Hiking to Dunmore Head was not part of our plans originally, but since we were doing well time-wise, it made sense to do so. But first, we had to make our way up from Coumeenoole Beach to get to the trailhead.

    The trail to the headland runs through private lands accessed by climbing over a stone fence. It was a fairly steep uphill path all the way to the tip ... very much worth it.
    Baca lagi

  • Coumeenoole Beach

    26 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    Our plan for Dunmore Head was to simply hike down to the beach that carries the same name as the bay it fronts.

    That plan would later change, but first we enjoyed a stroll along the crescent-shaped beach tucked into a cove at the head of the bay.Baca lagi

  • Along the Dingle Way

    26 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    From the Famine Cottages, we continued our drive along the “Dingle Way.”

    This section of the road before Dunmore Head was particularly scenic, with pull-outs along the way providing a safe way to enjoy the seascape and the high cliffs. En route, we even found the ruins of a farm that enticed us to wander around and explore them.Baca lagi

  • Slea Head Famine Cottages

    26 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 61 °F

    Just up the road from Dunbeg Fort is the Slea Head Famine Cottages. Since famines — especially the Great Potato Famine — have played such an important role in Irish history, we decided to stop to check out the place.

    The buildings here date back to the 1840s when they were built by the local landlord, the Earl of Cork. The signage explained that the farmer who lived in the main cottage allowed peasants who were evicted from their own homes during the Great Famine to live in some of the shacks ... hovels really.

    Cottages like these at one time were found all around Ireland. Many, however, have fallen into disrepair and crumbled down, making the ones here amongst the few that remain.

    Reading the stories of the people who lived in these buildings was heartbreaking. It was a sad place to visit. The only bright spot of our visit were the farm animals in the corral.
    Baca lagi

  • Dunbeg Fort

    26 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ ☀️ 59 °F

    Our first stop on the West End Peninsula Drive (aka Slea Head Drive) — or, as we christened it, the Ring of Dingle, did not turn out quite as expected.

    I’d read that Dunbeg Fort — which is an example of a promontory fort — sits at a spot with dramatic scenery. That part was true. And the video documenting the history of the City of Fahan where the first settlers were nomadic hunters and gatherers was interesting. As was the information about the building of the fort that dates back to 8th-9th century.

    What was disappointing was that the ruins were behind a fence and visitors cannot explore them ... nor easily see the dramatic scenery.

    This one falls into the “you win some, you lose some” category.
    Baca lagi

  • Day 8: Ring of Dingle

    26 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 59 °F

    The drive we did from our base in Dingle today is actually known as the West End Peninsula Drive or the Slea Head Drive. I’ve christened the roughly circular route “The Ring of Dingle.”

    With delightful scenery visible most of the way and frequent pull-outs for photo ops, this drive beats the Ring of Kerry hands down ... IMHO.

    Guidebooks indicate that the drive can be done in two hours. Even with the detours we made it was just 30 miles or so. But par for the course, we pretty much took all day. Hey, what’s the hurry, right?
    Baca lagi

  • Buying a Souvenir

    25 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    We rarely shop for souvenirs when we are traveling. And when we do, it’s for something we can use instead of knick-knacks.

    When we shortened our Ireland road trip to fit it into the time we have available, the Aran Islands went by the wayside.

    So, today we picked up some Aran knit woolens as our souvenir from this trip. There was no shortage of shops selling these goods, but we found a place on a back street. More selections ... better prices ... guaranteed original Aran knits from the islands.

    Living in Colorado, we will have a lot of opportunities to wear our Aran sweaters.
    Baca lagi

  • A Stroll Around Dingle Town

    25 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 63 °F

    From the aquarium, we continued our stroll into town, delighting in the beautiful weather.

    The best part of our walk? The tour buses had all departed so there were no crowds to deal with as we wandered around.

    We wrapped up our outing with a bit of shopping ... at SuperValu for a light snack in lieu of dinner at the B&B ... at Murphy’s for ice cream ... at one more place that I will write about in the next footprint.
    Baca lagi

  • Dingle’s Oceanworld Aquarium

    25 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ 🌧 50 °F

    A pleasant walk along the waterfront brought us to the aquarium on the outskirts of downtown Dingle.

    At first, we had no plans to go in. But checking it out on the internet, we saw that the place was promoted as Ireland’s largest such facility. So we decided to check it out. Besides, who can resist a Gentoo penguin feeding!

    We were pleased with the wide variety of sea creatures in the tanks. That we didn’t have to deal with crowds, or sticky fingerprints on the tanks, made the visit all the better.
    Baca lagi

  • Tower View B&B

    25 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 63 °F

    It was around 2:30p when we arrived at our base in Dingle. The Tower View B&B is away from the hubbub of Dingle Town, but within a short walk of downtown ... a perfect location for us.

    Helen greeted us warmly, introducing us to her mom, who is helping out while Helen cares for her three-week old baby daughter.

    After marking up a sightseeing map, she escorted us to our spacious room on the first floor [second floor here in the US] ... the best one of the rooms we’ve stayed in since we began our trip a week ago. Wow! Time sure is flying!

    We have a lovely view of Dingle Bay, with the “tower” mentioned in the B&B’s name sitting atop a hill on the far side. The farm across the road adds charm to the scenery.

    The sunny day was just too wonderful to waste indoors, so after settling in, we went off to explore Dingle Town.
    Baca lagi

  • Lunch Time!

    25 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    I already mentioned in the previous footprint that our timing was just right to have lunch at Tom Crean’s South Pole Inn ... even if the place is no longer associated with the Crean family.

    From the pub menu, we both ordered the delicious fish and chips ... which was made with hake. A pint of Guinness´s Rockshore Irish lager was the perfect accompaniment to our food.

    As good as the food was, I especially enjoyed the ambiance with memorabilia from Crean’s Antarctic expeditions decorating the walls.
    Baca lagi

  • Annascaul: Tom Crean’s Hometown

    25 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 64 °F

    From Inch Strand, we briefly got back on R651 before taking a short detour to the village of Annascaul.

    In my Kenmare footprint yesterday, I mentioned the name of an Antarctic explorer of the Heroic Age — Tom Crean. Born at a farm near Annascaul, Crean returned to live out the rest of his life in this village after he retired from life at sea.

    Our visit to Annascaul had a couple of goals. (1) Find the South Pole Inn, which Crean opened in the early 20th century after he settled here. (2) visit the memorial park where there is a statue of him in one of his iconic poses from the Endurance Expedition ... with husky puppies gathered in his arms. (3) Hike/stroll to the Ballynacourty Cemetery ... to stretch our legs and also to pay our respects at Crean’s grave. (4) Have lunch ... preferably at the South Pole Inn.

    I’m happy to say that we achieved all of our goals!
    Baca lagi

  • A Stroll on Inch Strand

    25 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 64 °F

    After bidding our hostess at Emerville House “slán” — which means safe, but is essentially used to say farewell — we began the 42-mile drive from Killarney to Dingle.

    The first part of the drive was familiar from yesterday ... and just as uninteresting as it was then. But, as promised by the guidebook, the scenery improved once we made the turn onto the Dingle Peninsula.

    Seeing the sign for Inch Strand [beach], we stopped for a stroll on what is said to be one of the best “Blue flag” beaches in Ireland. Guidebooks also describe it as having one of the finest, intact dune systems in the country.

    Mist veiled the mountains and hills, but the long length of the beach was very inviting. At low tide, the sand was packed hard, making it easy to walk along the water’s edge where the surf gently rolled ashore. That the sun came out while we were still on the beach was an added delight.
    Baca lagi

  • Lunch Time!

    24 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 66 °F

    When our plans to find a place to buy some yogurt and snacks along the way fell through, we went to Plan B. Surely, we’d find a place to eat in Killorglin.

    We did, but with the streets deserted, we ended up relying on our guidebook to find a restaurant instead of asking a local for a recommendation.

    As it was after 3:00p, The Bianconi was quiet. Just a table or two ... and a couple of people seated at the bar. The guidebook recommended it as one of the best places to get food on the Ring of Kerry. It did not disappoint.

    Mui ordered the Surprise Salad ... which turned out to be a ginormous sampling of smoked salmon, chicken, deli meats, potato salad and more ... with very little in the way of greens. I ordered the BLT, made with Irish bacon. We split the two dishes for a filling meal.

    By the time we left the restaurant, the sun had gone into permanent hiding. So, we decided to just head back to the B&B and take it easy for the rest of the day. Not a bad thing to do as we’ll be moving to our next “base” tomorrow.
    Baca lagi

  • RofK: Ballycarbery Castle to Killorglin

    24 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ ☁️ 61 °F

    From the Staigue Stone Fort, we retraced our way back to the Ring of Kerry. By this time, the sun was hiding behind the clouds more than seeking a way out.

    Continuing on our way, we made another short detour to the “atmospheric ruins of Ballycarbery Castle” — as our Lonely Planet guidebook described them.

    Though there’s been a residence of one kind or another at this site since the 13th century, the ruins of the tower house we saw date back to the mid-16th century. I was disappointed to see that visitors are no longer allowed to wander the ruins or the grounds ... especially because the particularly atmospheric section is on the side exposed to the Atlantic.

    We considered walking down to a cove on the River Ferda Estuary for another vantage point, but not only was the ground soggy and the mud sticky, there was no easy path. So, we gave up, took our photos, and got back on the road.

    When we came to one of the few pullouts along the ring road, we pulled over to sit on the stone wall and enjoy the views of the Atlantic. Had we any snacks with us, this would have been a good spot for an al fresco lunch. Alas, we didn’t. So onward we drove towards Killorglin.
    Baca lagi

  • Off the Ring of Kerry: Staigue Fort

    24 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 61 °F

    A short detour off the Ring of Kerry took us to an old fort that I had read about when I was researching our trip — the Staigue Stone Fort.

    The fort is described as being “… one of the largest and finest stone forts in Ireland.” Thought to have been the home of a wealthy landowner or chieftain, it is believed to date back to sometime between the 3rd and 4th centuries … before Christianity came to Ireland. The circular wall is nearly 20 feet high and over 13 feet thick. Built without the use of mortar, it encloses an area that is nearly 100 feet in diameter. None of the structures that would have been within the walls have survived.

    Considering its off-the-beaten-path location, I was surprised at the number of people at the fort. Not that it was really crowded inside … maybe 10-12 people all told. I climbed up the unique steps — built into the inside of the defensive wall — that are a feature of these forts. I was hoping to get a partial panorama of the fort without the other visitors. It wasn’t to be. The bonus of the climb? I managed a panorama of the scenery.

    This fort, thoroughly different from what we’ve seen in Ireland thus far, was a highlight of our day ... even if the weather did not cooperate with blue skies and sunshine.
    Baca lagi

  • Ring of Kerry: Sneem

    24 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ 🌧 68 °F

    Our next stop after leaving Kenmare was the village of Sneem. What caught our attention here were some colorful buildings and a stone bridge crossing the estuary of the River Sneem.

    We parked the car near a coffee shop from which Mui picked up a cup of joe. We would have gotten some doughnuts from the “Wholly Dough” food truck that was parked in the “designated casual trading area,” but it was locked up tight.

    As was the case in Kenmare, Sneem seemed deserted. A curious situation on a Monday morning. After wandering around for a bit, we resumed our drive.
    Baca lagi

  • Ring of Kerry: Kenmare

    24 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ 🌧 66 °F

    We were delighted to see the sun shining when we went down to an early breakfast before setting off on our day of sightseeing. It was a good omen ... even though the sun played peek-a-boo with the clouds throughout the day.

    Setting off to drive the Ring of Kerry in a counter-clockwise direction, our first stop before leaving Killarney was to have been the Torc Waterfall. Alas, the road to get there was closed. In fact, we had to backtrack a bit. Hence our direction driving the Ring ended up being clockwise instead. Luckily, the convoys of buses that tend to clog traffic on the narrow Ring of Kerry roads were non-existent today.

    Those who know us well are aware of our affinity to all things associated with the polar regions. The name of a County Kerry man — Tom Crean — is well known in the annals of Antarctic exploration. He participated in three expeditions ... two of which were quite eventful. Having read that he had a restaurant in Kenmare, we wanted to at least check it out.

    Arriving in Kenmare, we parked the car and set off to find “Tom Crean’s Fish & Wine.” We didn’t have to go far. Turns out that we’d parked across the street from it. Next, we went for a stroll around town. The streets were mostly deserted ... surprising at 9:30a on a Monday morning. Noticing that the door to the Holy Cross Church was open, we popped in to take a look at the stained glass windows ... for which I have a particular photographic fondness.

    And then, we were off to continue our drive.

    (More about Tom Crean at this link if you want to learn more ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Crean_(explorer)).
    Baca lagi

  • Day 6: Driving the Ring of Kerry

    24 Jun 2019, Ireland ⋅ ⛅ 57 °F

    The Iveragh Peninsula — popularly known as the Ring of Kerry — was where we went sightseeing today.

    Highly touted as a “... once in a lifetime experience that many return to,” the Ring of Kerry did not impress us much.

    Actually, it was the drive between the stops we made that was often disappointing because it seemed like we were driving through a “green tunnel” behind which the scenery was hidden. Where we caught glimpses of beauty, there was nowhere to pull over to enjoy the scenery.

    Had we done some hiking today, our impressions might have been different. But Mui — still battling the double whammy of conjunctivitis and sinusitis — was not up to doing any long walks.

    The good news? We enjoyed several of the stops we made today, so not all was lost.
    Baca lagi

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